Marble shooter



Aug., 1,1, 1925.

' A.- W. BOWSER MARBLE SHOOTER Filed March 12', 1925 Patented Aug. 1l.,

.. 't E. S

ARCHIBALD W. BOWSER, OF GALETON, PENNSYLVANIA.

BIA-BIBLE SHOOTER.

Application filed March 12, 1925.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, ARCHIBALD W. BOW- srn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galeton, in the county of Potter and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Marble Shooters, of which the following is a specification, refer-ence being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to toys, and particularly totoys for shooting marbles.

The general object of the invention is to provide a very simple, easily operated and cheaply constructed device of this character by which a marble may be shot or forcibly projected in playing marbles instead of the ordinary manner of rolling the marble by the lingers and thumb.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of this character which has no springs, triggers or other parts of like character.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which there is a resiliently projected plunger adapted to follow the marble along` the barrel in which the plunger is mounted, with means for supporting the forward movement of the plunger to thereby cause the projection of the marble.

A still further object isto provide a device of this character which will permit the use of a rubber band for projecting the plunger and which will permit new rubber bands to be used whenever the old ones wear out.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a marble shooter constructed in accordance with my invention Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof;

Figure 8 is a section on th-e line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure l is a side elevation of a slightly modified form of marble shooter;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section.

Referring to this drawing, it will be seen that 10 designates the barrel of the device, which may be made of wood, paper, pressed pulp or any other suitable material, this barrel being formed with a longitudinally extending slot 11 for the rear half of the barrel. Preferably this slot extends the entire length of the barrel but the end tively cheap to construct.

Serial No. 15,109.

of the slot is closed by means of a ferrule 12 which holds in place a wooden plug 13. lt will be obvious, however, that the rear end of the barrel might be formed with an integral end wall, but the structure which l have shown makes the barrel rela- The opposite end of the barrel is reinforced by a ferrule lll, and disposed atthis end of the barrel is the hook 15 which preferably extends down through the ferrule, as there is considerable strain upon this hook.

Operating within the barrel is a plunger 16 having an eye 17 which extends out through the slot 11 and with which a rubber band 18 is engaged. Preferably a band 19 is disposed around the barrel at the end of the slot so as to take up the shock of the eye 17 splitting the barrel.

1n Figure e, l show a slight modification in which the forward end of the barrel is enlarged, as at 20, so as to do away with the use of the ferrule 14 and provide sufficient strength for the hook 15, this enlarge ment further acting as a means for supporting the forward end of the barrel upon the ground so that the barrel when so sup ported is mounted at a slight angle to the ground, thus to cause the marbles to roll down the barrel toward the rear end thereof.

ln the use of this device, the barrel is disposed at a slight angle tol the ground so that the forward end of the barrel is raised, the plunger is retracted, and the marble placed within the barrel. lThe marble fits the barrel loosely and rolls down to the rear end thereof against the plunger, the plunger is then released, and the rubber band 18 'throws the plunger forward, the plunger flying against the marble but eventually striking the stop constituted by the band 19 or by the forward end of the slot 11 and stopping, while the marble goes on. It will be noted that the hook 15 and the eye 17 are partially open so that a new rubber band may be readily inserted in place in case the old one breaks or becomes weakened.

While this device is particularly designed for use by children in playing marble games where the marble is projected over a licor or over the ground, it is obvious that it also may be used for the purpose of shooting marbles or other objects into the air. Obviously' greater tension can be secured by using two rubber bands if desired in place of merely one. The device is small, can be carried conveniently in the pockets of boys, and is particularly easy and Cheap to manufacture.

I claim:-

l. A marble shooter of the Character described Comprising a tubular barrel, the rear end of the barrel being longitudinally slotted, a plug inserted iu the rear end of the barrel, a ferrule holding the plug in place and extending over said slot a plunger disposed within the barrel and having an eye, the shank of whioh passes out through the slot, a hook engaged with jthe forward end of the barrel, and a rubber band engaged with said hook and eye and urging the plunger forward.

2. A marble shooter of the character described comprising a tubular barrel, the rear end of the ba 1rel being longitudinally slotted., a plug Closing the rear end of the barrel, means holding the plug in place and Closing the rear end of the slot, a partial hook engaged with the forward end of the barrel, a plunger fitting the barrel, a partially open eye having a shank extending through the slot and engaged with the plunger, and a rubber band engaged with said hook and eye and urging the plunger forward.

3. A marble shooter of the character described comprising a tubular barrel initially open at both ends and having the rear half longitudinally slotted to Jche rear extremity of the barrel, a plug closing the rear end of the barrel, a ferrule holding the plug in place and closing said slot, a ferrule around the forward end of the barrel, a hook having a shank engaged through said ferrule with the forward end of the barrel, a ferrule passing around the middle of the barrel at the forward end of the slot, a plunger operating within the barrel, a hook engaged with the forward end of the barrel through the ferrule, an eye engaged with the plunger and having a shank extending through the slot, and an elastic band connected at its forward end with said hook and at its rear end with said eye.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ARCHIBALD W. BOVSER. 

